Top of the Mornin'

Wheat generally gets a bad rap. For many, wheat represents "too healthy", "too heavy", "not tasty". I get these kind of comments when I try to serve whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, etc. There are few times I never get comments though...whole wheat bread, whole wheat cinnamon rolls and whole wheat pancakes. My husband thinks these WW pancakes are far tastier than their white counterpart. That is his opinion, judge for yourself.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

This recipe is great because you make a big batch of mix, then just stick it in your freezer and use as needed.

You start by combining WW flour, sugar, powdered milk, salt and baking powder.


Mix them all together until all ingredients are well incorporated. This is your base mixture. Use what you need, then store the rest in the freezer or refrigerator.



In a separate bowl, add an egg, water and oil.




Whip it up until it is nice and frothy. By doing this, you add lightness to your pancakes...tricky isn't it :)!




Now mix a portion of your dry ingredients with your wet ingredients.

Blend until just mixed.

Throw them on the griddle and wait for the magic!

Watch for the bubbles to appear...then flip!

Nice golden color...you are wanting to take a bite right now aren't you!

AAhh, the finished product. So tasty, so good for you, so easy! Whip some up this week!

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

8 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups powdered milk

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons salt

5 tablespoons baking powder

Mix all dry ingredients. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

To use mix:

1 1/2 cup mix

1 egg

2 tablespoons oil

3/4 cup water

Beat egg, water and oil, then add mix.

Makes approx. 8 medium sized pancakes

Martha Stewart Cookie Jar

I saw these cookies in the latest Martha Stewart Food Magazine and just had to make them. I mean, they had whole wheat flour in them! If you can't make it up the canyon but are craving some S'Mores...this is for you!!

S'MORES COOKIES

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

1 cup all-purpose flour( spooned and leveled)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (a great addition to this cookie!)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

1 large egg

8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, cut into 30 squares

15 large marshmallows, halved horizontally

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground. Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse to combine. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, scraping down side of bowl. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture just until combined.

Drop dough by tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Top each with a chocolate square. Bake until just lightly golden, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove sheets from oven ; heat broiler. Top each cookie with a marshmallow. One sheet at a time, broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Makes 30

My cookies were a bit too big...the cookie should only end being a little bigger than the marshmallow, but they still tasted good and it was fun for my kids to "roast" marshmallows in the oven! When forming your dough balls, keep in mind that these are "bite sized" cookies.

Enjoy!!

Wheat Week

I love using freshly ground wheat flour. I started using it slowly, mostly just in bread making, but over the last few years I have started to use it in almost everything...almost :). This week I thought I would post a few of my favorite recipes using whole wheat flour.

30-Day Bran Muffins

This is a favorite year round. You mix up the batter of these tasty muffins and let it sit in your fridge for up to 30 days. So when I want a muffin or two, or twelve, I just pull out the bowl, fill up a few muffins tins and 20 minutes later...viola! Wonderfully, healthy bran muffins!

Here is a little play by play.

Here is the muffin batter...I would have taken pictures of each step of preparation, but you would have gotten a little bored...it is SO easy!


I scoop a bit of batter into each baking cup and then fill them up with blueberries (you don't have to but in berries if you just want a nice, plain muffin). Summer is high season for berries, so watch for them to go on sale at the grocery store, unless of course you grow your own. This batch of blueberries only cost me 99 cents for 6 oz. (if you are worried about stocking up because you can't eat them fast enough, just stick them in the freezer...they will stay good for months, at least for use in baking!)

Look at those berries...Beautiful!!

I scoop a little more batter on top so the berries are nice and nestled.

Then smooth it out on top and stick it in the oven.

At the end of it all, I am rewarded with this! Look at how those blueberries exploded! Aagghh...I can't wait to have a bite! Make some today...you will be glad you did!!

30-Day Bran Muffins (Favorites Cookbook)

4 cups All-Bran cereal

2 cups boiling water

1 cup butter

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 quart buttermilk

5 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

5 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups Bran Flakes cereal

Pour boiling water over All-Bran cereal and let sit. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs then dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk. Mix in All-Bran and water mixture. Last of all, stir in Bran Flakes. This batter stores in the fridge for 30 days and makes dozens of muffins! Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes in greased or paper-lined muffin tins.

A Few Deals

• I am not lost...it is just summer and we are just going with the flow a bit. I am actually terrible at "going with the flow", so I am practicing! My posts may be a bit inconsistent during the summer months, but then again, I might get on a roll, who knows, but don't forget me...I am still here and will be continuing to post.
  
  I thought I would let you know about a few good deals going on this week...
  
  Smith's
• 10lb. bag Russet Potatoes- $1.79 (quick and easy dinner!)
• Fresh Wild Caught Alaskan Keta Salmon (whole or half)- $2.49 lb (great for now or freeze for later!!
• Kroger Cottage Cheese 16 oz.- $1.00
• Kroger Veggie Dips 16 oz.- $1.00
• Dasani Water Bottles 24 pk. (limit 8)- $2.99
• A&W or Sunkist- 4 for $5 and when you buy four you get a FREE 1.75 qt. of Private Selections Ice Cream when you use your FV card. (Have Rootbeers Floats this weekend, then reuse the bottles for water storage!)

Dan's

• WF Medium Cheddar Cheese 2lb Loaf- $3.99 (can freeze for later use)
• WF Sour Cream 24 oz.- $1.19
• Saturday, June 20th Only...Marinated In-Store Petite Steaks-$1.99 lb.

Your 3-Month Supply

Like Organic foods? Click HERE to get coupons for Stoneyfield Farms Products.

Enjoy!!

Tips From the Moon

I haven't had the chance to try out these recipes yet, but they are definitely on my to-do list! I'm not one to make a totally separate meal for my toddler, so I love the recipes that I can make for everyone. Here's a few that I thought sounded good! These recipes are all from

Annabel Karmel's The Fussy Eaters' Recipe Book.

Annabel's Secret Tomato Sauce
1 T. olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 leek, carefully washed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, chopped
one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2/3 cup vegetable broth
3 T. tomato paste
1 t. superfine sugar
1 T. torn fresh basil leaves (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion and leek for approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, and sugar, and stir for approximately 1 minute. Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in the basil leaves, if using. Transfer to a blender and blitz the sauce to a puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Orzo Salad
1/3 cup orzo
2 T. peas, cooked from frozen
1/4 cup drained canned corn
1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
Dressing
1 T. mayonnaise
1 T. sour cream or Greek-style yogurt
1 t. water
1/2 t. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 t. snipped fresh chives

Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain and mix with the peas, corn, and cooked chicken.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and toss with the salad.

Mummy's Ramen Noodles
2 1/2 ounces Chinese-style dried thin egg noodles (lo mein) or use bean thread (cellophane) noodles
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 t. soy sauce
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup drained canned corn or frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 t. cornstarch
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Put the broth, soy sauce, peas, corn, and chicken in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon cold water and add to the contents of the pan, then cook, stirring, for another minute or until the liquid thickens slightly. Add the noodles and scallion and reheat briefly, stirring. Transfer to a bowl or small cup to serve.

A Few Tips and Recipes (age 6-9 Months)

Introducing your baby to solid food can be a frustrating experience. With each bite, more food seems to come out of their mouth than stays in it. One good thing about homemade baby food is the flavor, babies actually like to eat it, so eating time is a bit more enjoyable.

This introductory time, 6-9 months, is also a great time to introduce lots of new flavors as babies tend to be more open to change (everything for them is new). The more flavors they are introduced to, the better chance you have of them not being picky eaters in the future.

I started basic...First Purees

Carrots

Apples

Squash

Sweet potatoes

Peas

After a couple of weeks I introduced more fruits and vegetables...

Potatoes

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Berries

Bananas (not suitable for freezing)

Mango

Avocado (not suitable for freezing)

I steam all of the fruits and veggies that require cooking. Here is a general cooking guide.

Apples-8 min.

Pears- 3-4 min.

Carrots, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash,

and Pumpkin- 15-20 min.

Tip: Add some leftover cooking water to the steamed fruits and veggies

to thin them out while blending.

Just add it slowly until you have reached your desired consistency.

And don't blend potatoes in a blender or food processor as the mixture will become

starchy, use a food mill instead.

I usually spend one morning, once a month making baby food. Once I start, it is easy to whip up a nice array of food. Even though my baby is now 9 months old, I still like to freeze simple, first purees and then mix them when I warm them up. Carrots are a great combo with Peas because the sweetness of the Carrots balances out the strong flavor of the Peas. Apples and Pears go great together as do Green Beans, Corn and Carrots, and Broccoli and Potatoes. When babies get older, you can also make up and freeze a great cheese sauce which goes GREAT with veggies!

Here are some of my baby's favorites...

Apple and Pear Puree

Ingredients

2 eating apples (I use Gala)

2 ripe pears

4 tbsp pure unsweetened apple juice or water

Generous pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Put the fruit into a saucepan together with apple juice or water and pinch of cinnamon (if using), cover and cook over a low heat until tender (about 6 to 8 minutes). Blend the fruit to a smooth puree.

Suitable for freezing




Vegetables and Lentils

Ingredients

2 T butter

1 1/2 cups leeks, finely sliced

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/3 cup red lentils ( or any color you have)

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

2 cups vegetable stock or water

Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the leeks for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, saute for one minute, then add the sweet potato and bay leaf and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf and blend to a puree.

Suitable for freezing
MAKES 6 PORTIONS

The BEST Oatmeal!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup quick oats

6 ready to eat dried apricots, chopped

1 large ripe pear, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

Put the milk, quick oats and chopped apricots in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Puree together with the chopped pear in a hand blender. (You can also add the pear to the oatmeal mixture during the last few minutes of cooking if you want a thinner texture).

Suitable for freezing

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

all pictures and recipes courtesy of annabelkarmel.com

Tips From the Moon

While we are waiting for "Tips from the Coop" to return...I thought perhaps we would like to hear a few "Tips from the Moon"...Moon being my sister Marianne...funny nickname, long story!

FUSSY EATERS

I have two fussy eaters...one is three years old, the other is eight months old. They are obviously fussy in different ways, but both often make eating time a bit difficult! I really tried to feed my three year-old a variety of things so she wouldn't be a fussy eater...either I didn't do a good enough job, or it just didn't work. She will not eat any fruit unless it's in the form of a fruit snack. She will eat some vegetables but is very picky. I continue to try to introduce/hide new foods to make her diet a bit more well-balanced, but it is not easy! My eight month-old has major texture aversion. I know that she is young and can grow out of it, but add to it that she has a very sensitive gag reflex, and I am dealing with a lot of throw up when I try to introduce chunkier foods. Hence, eating time is a bit difficult.

I just picked up a book from the library by Annabel Karmel called The Fussy Eaters' Recipe Book. I've only had it for a couple of days, but I like the information I've read thus far. Some of her tips that I think might work for me...

• Make healthy junk food. I've got a hot dog, corn dog, chicken nugget lovin' kid. This book has some great recipes for homemade pizzas, chicken nuggets, and even ramen noodles.
• "Disguise vegetables by blending them into a tomato sauce and serve with pasta. You can double-bluff by leaving a few chunky vegetables in the sauce for your child to pick out, then he'll never suspect that ther are still some in there." Brilliant!
  
• She says that the key to getting your child to like eating salad is to have a good dressing. There are some great dressing recipes that even sound good to me!
  
• "Children like eating with their fingers, so serve vegetables such as corn on the cob with melted butter, or baked potato wedges." That is so true about my child!
  
• Tying right in with the "being prepared" theme of this blog, she also recommends getting your kids involved in growing a garden as they may be more interested in eating foods that they watched grow. I've seen first-hand how Jac's kids are interested in the food from their garden!

As for my baby, I did have a small success the other day. Thanks to Jac's inspiration, I also make my own baby food. The purees are always a hit, so I ground up some cooked chicken and mixed it in with carrots and sweet potatoes and she had no idea that it was even there! I may get her to chew food without gagging yet!!

P.S. Annabel Karmel has some great baby food recipe books too, and I just saw a recipe for pureed lentils and vegetables that actually looked good. Yahoo for food storage and homemade baby food! I've never felt so resourceful!

Homemade Baby Food

I know this post does not apply to everyone...but I just think it is a very "provident" thing to do, so if you have far surpassed needing baby food, pass the info onto a friend.

I personally started to make my own baby food this past year. My motivation was a financial one and I knew I would save TONS of money making my own rather than purchasing it....so I went to the library, checked out a few books on the topic and was well on my way.

I started simple, just copied the "Gerber 1st" Foods and the results were amazing. Not only did I save a lot of money, but my baby LOVED to eat it! This food actually had flavor! I have been just kicking myself that I didn't make my own baby food for my other children.

Here are the basics of what I do...

Steam the fruits and veggies until they are cooked through, puree them up in my blender, and fill up ice cube trays full of food to freeze until a later date.



Once frozen, I label and date a freezer bag and fill 'er up.

I then put my nicely labeled bag into a plastic container that is already full of other labeled bags and stick it back in my freezer.

When I am ready to serve it up, I take one serving (2 food cubes, this is potatoes and carrots) and warm it up in the microwave until it is nice and steamy. Then I just let it cool on the counter for awhile until it is just slightly warm. (Although this picture does not show them slightly warm...more like totally frozen, but you get the idea :)!)

Voila! Lickity split! Yummy, tasty baby food.

This week we will be talking tips, recipes, fussy eaters, etc. So come on back now ya hear!

P.S. Joey, if you are out there...we are missing Tips From The Coop! Come back soon!

A Little Freebie

So this may not be exactly everyone's idea of a 3-Month Supply item, but for my husband it is!




Every Friday through September, Mars is giving away coupons for free chocolate bars (I just had a couple delivered this week!). They offer 250,000 each Friday with a limit of 1 coupon per email address and 4 coupons per household. You must also be 13 years or older to enter.

Click HERE to get your coupon!!

Here's to filling up our food storage and our stomach with rich chocolate!!

What to write...

I am sitting here staring at the computer screen, wondering what to write about. My brain is somewhere else...I need to adjust my focus. In the meantime, when you have 9 minutes and 18 seconds, check out this YouTube video on Gathering your 3-Month Supply.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqUSUx_mZyA